Latest news with #KCAA
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Girl, 10, among 25 passengers killed when bus overturns on way back from funeral
A bus carrying mourners home from a funeral in Kenya crashed into a ditch, killing at least 25 passengers, with the driver accused of speeding and losing control A 10-year-old girl is among 25 people who have tragically died after a bus carrying them back from a funeral crashed in Kenya. The mourners were returning back from a service in the southwest of the country when it overturned and plunged into a ditch on Friday evening. The bus was travelling from the western town of Kakamega to the city of Kisumu, where the accident happened. There have been several people injured as well as the confirmed 25 that have died. The driver lost control of the bus as it approached a roundabout at high speed and plunged into a ditch, according to Peter Maina, a regional traffic enforcement officer for the province of Nyanza, where Kisumu is located. He said there was a girl, aged 10, among the victims as well as 10 men and 10 women but that figure has now risen. It comes after a woman, 20, was found dead on a bus with 26 iPhones glued to her body. Four of the 29 people injured in the crash later died in the hospital, said Fredrick Ouma Oluga, the principal secretary in charge of medical services in Kenya. The crash has shocked many in the region, sparking renewed calls for tougher road safety measures. Road accidents are common in Kenya and the wider East African region, where roads are often narrow and in poor condition with many potholes. Police often blame road accidents on speeding drivers. In another accident on Thursday, nine people were killed in a bus crash in the town of Naivasha in the county of Nakuru. The victims were among 32 workers going to work when the bus crashed at a railway crossing, police said. Meanwhile, a plane crash yesterday has left at least six people dead and two others injured after it went down in a residential area in Ruiru, Kiambu County, Kenya. The aircraft, a Cessna Citation XLS, belonged to AMREF Flying Doctors, which provides "fixed-wing air ambulance services" in Africa. It is not yet clear what caused the crash. Four people were onboard the plane at the time. The deceased include two doctors, two nurses and two members of public, according to the Kiambu County Commissioner. "At this time, we are cooperating fully with relevant aviation authorities and emergency response teams to establish the facts surrounding the situation," AMREF Flying Doctors CEO Stephen Gitau said. The Cessna took off from Wilson Airport in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi at 2:17pm and was on its way to Hargeisa, Somalia when it crashed. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) said the aircraft lost radio and radar contact three minutes after it took off from Wilson Airport. Multiple homes were damaged near the crash site, which has a radius of around 100 metres.
The Star
6 days ago
- General
- The Star
1st LD: Light aircraft with 4 onboard crashes in Kenya capital
NAIROBI, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- A light aircraft carrying four people crashed Thursday in a residential area on the outskirts of Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) said in a statement. The accident involved a Cessna Citation 560 air ambulance, registration 5Y-FDM, which took off from Wilson Airport in Nairobi at 2:14 p.m. local time en route to Hargeisa in northern Somalia. It crashed three minutes later in the Mwihoko area, the statement said. KCAA Director-General Emile Arao said the aircraft, operated by AMREF Flying Doctors, went down under unclear circumstances. He did not disclose the fate of those on board. "We are deeply saddened by this tragic incident involving an air ambulance mission. Our immediate priority is to support rescue efforts and provide all necessary assistance to the families affected," Arao said. Kenya Defence Forces and National Police Service are leading the search and rescue efforts at the crash site, according to the statement. The Air Accident Investigation Department has dispatched a team to investigate the cause of the crash. AMREF also confirmed the accident, saying it was cooperating fully with aviation authorities and emergency responders to establish the circumstances surrounding the crash. AMREF Chief Executive Officer Stephen Gitau said in a separate statement that their immediate focus is on the safety and well-being of those on board and providing full support to their families and colleagues. "We are also offering all necessary assistance to the authorities as investigations continue," Gitau added. Images from the scene showed the wreckage engulfed in flames as witnesses watched from a distance.
Business Recorder
28-06-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
KICT assures to ease container backlog amid industry protest
KARACHI: Amid rising complaints over growing delays in container examinations at the Karachi International Container Terminal (KICT), the terminal operator has assured the trading community that it is working closely with Pakistan Customs to swiftly address the backlog. In an official statement issued Wednesday, KICT said it remains committed to facilitating trade and ensuring efficient terminal operations for all stakeholders. It confirmed that the Collector Appraisement (West) has taken urgent measures, doubling the examination staff deployed at the terminal to fast-track the clearance process. KICT is confident that, with joint efforts, the situation will normalise soon, the statement added. The development follows a strongly-worded statement from the Karachi Customs Agents Association (KCAA), which raised serious concerns over operational inefficiencies and mounting backlogs at KICT. In a formal communication last week, KCAA warned that escalating delays in container grounding and examination were causing financial losses, increased demurrage and detention charges, and deteriorating service standards for the trading community. 'We wish to draw immediate attention to the delays in container grounding at KICT. Despite repeated follow-ups from our members, there has been no significant improvement in operations,' the KCAA said. The association also submitted a copy of the Daily Examination & Grounding Report of KICT to support its claims. The KCAA noted that even priority containers submitted for urgent handling are facing delays, while an insufficient and poorly coordinated labour force has worsened the situation. It further pointed out that containers often remain in the examination area for extended periods after inspection due to delays in sealing and removal, causing terminal congestion and operational disruption. The association also criticised the inadequate space allocated for the examination of A-class cargo, urging KICT to immediately expand and upgrade the area to meet rising trade volumes and operational demands. The terminal's management, while acknowledging the concerns, expressed confidence that the collaborative measures now underway with Customs will soon resolve the crisis. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
13-06-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
KICT fails to act against theft, cargo mishandling: KCAA
KARACHI: Karachi International Container Terminal Limited (KICT) has reportedly failed to implement effective measures against escalating incidents of theft, pilferage, cargo mishandling and persistent operational delays, which are inflicting severe financial shocks to the trade. The issues were highlighted by the Karachi Customs Agents Association (KCAA) in a letter sent to the management of KICT, expressing grave concerns over persistent operational delays, recurring incidents of theft, pilferage, and mishandling of cargoes that are causing serious financial losses to the trade. In its letter, the KCAA highlighted multiple operational challenges that have been severely impacting import clearance processes at the KICT. The KCAA expressed disenchantment over recurring incidents of theft, pilferage, and mishandling of cargo at the terminal, saying that several incidents of security breach have been reported that compromised cargo safety, resulting in severe financial shocks to the trade. The KCAA, in its letter, reported that the backlog of containers is increasing daily, despite repeated requests from members for improved operational performance. The association said that even container numbers communicated by KCAA for prioritized grounding were not being processed promptly. 'Containers are not being arranged for examination at KICT,' the letter said, adding that this has resulted in severe delays in clearance of import consignments and escalating port demurrage and container detention charges for importers. The KCAA highlighted several operational issues requiring immediate attention, including persistent delays in the closure and relocation of containers from examination areas, with containers not being sealed and transferred promptly following examination, adding that this disruption to the workflow has adversely affected the overall efficiency of the clearance process. The KCAA also highlighted that the designated space allocated for the examination of A-class cargo was currently inadequate at KICT, which required immediate expansion to accommodate the increasing volume of cargo under inspection. Additionally, there is an ongoing shortage of essential handling equipment and labor, particularly for cargo operations such as de-stuffing and re-stuffing, the letter said. The KCAA warned that if the current operational situation remained unchanged, the association would have no option but to reconsider its cooperation and support with the KICT Terminal. The association urged the KICT to issue immediate instructions to the concerned staff to expedite the grounding process and ensure containers were made available for clearance without further delay. The KCAA also requested to allow a waiver in the port demurrage charges for the affected period, if the delays were directly attributed to the late grounding by the KICT. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
